Potato-planter.



l. A. RANUALL. POT-ATU PLANNER. APPLIQATION. FILED` mv.' 21. Ime. 1l yPatented Nov. 5, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l?, mf/WMM J. A. RANDALL.

POTATO PLANTER;

APPLICATION FILED Nov.2I. 191s.

A IQLIQI. Patented-Nov. 5,1918.

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i JOHN A. RANDALL, 01E* IVIINNEALOLIS, MJENNESOTA.

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To all whom t 'may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN A. RANDALL, a citizen of the United States,residing `at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Planters; and ll do hereby declare the 'following to be a full, clear,and eXact description of theinvention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it apper tains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to planters for po* tatoes and other similar foodcrops; and it consists in the novel construction and comu `bination ofthe parts hereinafter fully de wheel and are distributed by the latterto the plows. n

1n the drawings, Figure 1 1s a side view of portions of a planterconstructed accordi ing to this invention, certain parts being shown insection and others being omitted, for clearness. Fig. 2 is a plan viewof portions of the planter. Figs. 3,' 4 and 5 are vertical sectionstaken on the `lines w-m, g/fy, and eff-a', respectively, Vin Fig. 2.liig. 6 is a detail side view of one of the inclined -plates 61.

rlthe planter supported by means of brackets 5 on an axle 3 having`ground wheels 4 on its end portions. draft tongue 6 is' provided at thefront of the machine, `and the groundwheels are connected with the axleby ratchet mechanisms of any approved construction, which i are inclosedin suitable housings 7, and which are `not illustrated as they are notapart of the present invention.

A toothed wheel 8 is secured to the axle, and is revolved by it when themachine is drawn along in a forward direction, and this wheel 8 gearsinto a toothed wheel `9 secured on a vertical shaft 10, which isjournaled in a bearing 12 secured to the frame 2, and in a footstep 14supported by the axle. Any other approved mechanism may be used fordriving the vertical shaft, and it` may ybe thrown in and out of actionin any approved wa i i i rlilhe potato `seed sections are placed in ahopper 15 which is secured to the main frame 2 in any convenient way. Afeeder 16 is journaled in the hopper 2, and is secured on a feeder shaft17 which passes through the Speeieaton of Letters Patent.

has a main frame 2 which is Patented hier.. 5,1918.,

Application filed November 21, 1916. Serial No. 132,547.

hopper and is journaled in bearings 18 on brackets which projectupwardly from the frame 2, Thefeeder shaft 17 is driven from acountershaft 19 which is journaled in bearings 20 and 21 which aresecured to the main frame 2. rllfhe countershaft 19 is driven from` thevertical shaft 10 by beveled toothed wheelsQ)J and 24; and the feedershaft 17 is driven from the countershaft by a drive chain 25and sprocketwheels 26. Any other approved driving mechanism may however be used fordriving the feeder as the machine is drawn along.

'lhe hopper has a discharge spout 27 at oneend of the feeder chamber ofthe hopper and inthe plane of the revolution of the feeder. The feederis provided with radial arms 28, any convenient number being furnished.Each feeder arm 28 is provided with selector mechanism, and as thesemech` anisms are all alike, they are not all fully i clined, "and 35 aretoothed shoes or agitators i which slide in the bottomsiof these outer`chambers and prevent the seeds from stick ing or bridgiiiglin them.These shoes are reciprocated bymeans of eccentrics 36 secured on thefeeder shaft; and eccentrica rods 87 pivoted to the said shoes and tothe eccentric-straps. The middle portion of the feeder chamber isprovided with a` shallow trough 38`tlie bottom of whichis arrangedconcentric with the feeder shaft,`and the, seeds slide laterally intothis trough after passingI through the openings in the partitions. i ii.

llEach feeder arm has two parallel `and radial guide bars 40 secured toit, and a nonslidable jaw 41 is secured tothe endportions of `theseguide bars, so that it projectsforwardly of them in the direction of themotion of the feeder, asindicated by the curved i arrow` in Fig. 3andworks like a scoop in the bottoni of the troughf..` it slidable jaw42 I' thattheseed falls down' the discharge spout "into the dropperwheel.`Y

is arranged opposite the jaw l41, and is secured to a crosshead 43 whichslides on the guide bars 40. A push-rod 4 4 is provided, and is arrangedto slide radially in a carrier plate 45 secured to'the feeder arm. The

outer end portion of this push-rod is operatively-connected with thecrosshead 43 by a spring 46. The push-rod is preferably slidable in ahole in the crosshea'd', and hasa nut 47 screwed on it inside thecrosshead.

The spring 46' is preferably arranged around therod' between a collar 48and the crosshead, and when the push-rod is pushed outwardly thel spring46 presses the 'slidable jaw `42 toward the jaw 41 so that the potatoseed section may be gripped between the two 45,"and operates to slidethe pushrod inwardly and restore the Vjaws to their open position.

Eccentric' tracks or camsy 52 are secured to thepartitions ofthe hopper,and the end por# ltionsof the cam plate 50 bear on these tracks so thatthe'jaws are partially closed as the feeder is revolved. The jaws areopen as theydesc'endin thev trough 38,'and they straddle'and scoop upone of thep'otato seed "sections in the bottom of'it. The'jaws areclose'd"upon rthe seed by the' action' of 'the tracks 52 v'asfthe feederis-revol'ved," andthe seed isA carried around by them until the jawscomefverticallyover the top of the discharge spout 27, and the feederarm is substantially horizontal. 1 At this point the cam plateslides'o'verthe outer end of the'Y tracks 52, and' thespring' thenopenstheI jaws 'so The dropper wheel'56 is arranged to reon'theupper/end 'portion of the vertical shaft"j10,"hereinbefore' described.-The drop# per Wheel is arranged to plant'two: rows simultaneously', anditcarries a'series of vertical: 'platesf57 arranged radially "at itsAperiphery 1 The dropper ywheel is provided withL a' seriesfof buckets'58 which are piv- 'ot'e'd toit bypins 59, andwhich are' open 'at thetop'and 'at one end. These buckets are` arranged so that they. assumetheir closed posit'pionsfby gravity, each pres`sing"itsopen end jagainstone of the vertical platesf?. "Iheg buckets are; arcuate in shape, and:their pivotsfarefarranged adjacent to thetops of f thel'fver'tical"lplates: 57, which normally' close' theop'en sidesofthe buckets, andthebuckets are' 'tiltedgto dischargethe seeds by moving Ethem pivotallyupward. J

The bucket is tilted by suitable mechanism, and as shown in Fig. l, sothat the seed may drop from its open end when same is removed from theplate 57. These buckets are revolved under the discharge spout 27.

'Ihe buckets 58 are provided with tripping pins and62, arranged uponopposite sides of the alternate buckets. The pins 60 are on vthe-innersides, and the pins 62 are on the outer sides of the buckets. Inclinedplates 61 are provided and have serrations or corrugations 63 at theirupper parts and are supported by the frame 2 and arranged on theopposite sides ofthe machine, so that when one pin 60 runs up one plate6l, thc pin 62 on the opposite side of the dropper wheel runs up theother inclined plate 61.

Flexible discharge chutes or tubes 64 are provided, and are supported inthe frame so that they receive the seeds which fall from the bucketswhen the latter are tilted. These iexible discharge tubes 64 have furrowopeners or plows 65 of any approved construction connected to theirlower ends. These plows 65 are shown pivotally connected to the frame 2by arms 66 and pins 67, and they may be adjusted vertically andlaterally by mechanismof any approved construction, the iiexible tubesbeing adapted to permit such movements. A lever 69 and a rod 70 areshown for supporting the plow 65 and adjusting its engagement with theground. The arms 66 also carry disks 72 arranged in suitable positionsto the rear of the-plows, so that they will close the furrows and coverthekseedswhich have 'been dropped down thefiexible chutes'or tubesintothe furrows.

The seeds or seed sections are scooped up one by one by the selectordevices attached to each arm of the feeder, and are discharged one byone dowirthe discharge spout into the buckets of the dropper wheel whichare timed to receive them as they drop from the spout. The dropper wheeldrops a seed at each side'fjof the machine simultaneously v when itsbuckets are tilted by the inclined volveijn ahorizontal plane, audit is'secured shaftjournaled crosswise of the'said parti-V tions, and feeder'mechanism arranged vin the middle chamber ofthe hopper andsecuredfonthe'said shaft and operating to pick up the seeds which slidedown the spherical bottom portion from the side chambers.

2. ln a plantel', a hopper having a spherical bottom portion providedwith a trough at its middle art, partitions arranged parallel to thesaid trough and dividing.;` the hopper into three chambers and havingfeed openings at their lowest parts, a driving shaft journaled crosswiseof the said partiJill tions and trough, and feeder mechanism arranged inthe middle chamber of the hopper and secured on the said shaft andoperating` to pick up from the said trough the seeds which slide downthe spherical bottom portion from the side chambers.

3. ln a planter, a hopper having a spherical bottom portion, parallelpartitions dividing` the hopper into three chambers and having feedopenings at their lowest parts, a driving shaft journaled crosswise ofthe said partitions, means for agitating the seeds arranged in the twoside chambers and secured on the said shaft, and feeder mechanismarranged in the middle chamber of the hopper and secured on the saidshaft and operating to pick up the seeds which slide down the sphericalbottom portion from the side chambers.

l. In a planter, a feeder chamber, a feeder journaled in the feederchamber and provided with radial t(guides having non-slid able jaws attheir free ends, slidable jaws carried by the said guides, slidable pushrods also carried by the said guides, springs arranged between the saidpush-rods and slidable jaws, and means for sliding the push-rodsoutwardly at intervals as the feeder is revolved so as' to compress thesaid springs and thereby cause the jaws to grip the seeds.

5. ln a planter, a feeder chamber, a feeder journaled in the feederchamber and provided with radial guides having non-slidable jaws attheir free ends, slidable jaws provided with crossheads and carried bythe said guides, carrier late s secured to the feeder, push-rods slidale in `holes in the said carrier plates and crossheads and havingprojections on their middle parts, springs arranged on the push rodsbetween their said projections and the crossheads, nuts screwed on theend portions of the pushrods which project through the crossheads, andmeans for sliding the push-rods outwardly at intervals as the feeder isrevolved.

6. fn a planter, a feeder chamber provided with a delivery spout, afeeder journaled in the said chamber and provided with radial guideshaving non-slidable jaws at their extremities, slidable jaws carried bythe said guides, slidable push-rods also carried by the said guides andoperating the slidable jaws, springs interposed between the pushrods andthe slidable jaws, cam-plates soir nected to the puslrrods and extendingcrosswise of the feeder chamber, eccentric tracks secured to the sides0f the feeder chamber and operating to slide the cam-plates outwardly tocompress the said springs and close the jaws during a portion of therevolution of the feeder, and springs which retract the slidable jawsautomatically when the cam-plates are free of the eccentric tracks.

ln testimony whereof l have afhxed my signature.

JUHN A. RANDALL.

Gopes of this patent may 'he obtained for ve cents each, by addressing'the Commissioner of Patente, Washington, n. E.

